Tarnished Knights and Fallen Angels
by suburbs
Summary: Because not everyone can be perfect all the time - Shane, Nate and Jason drabbles.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own Camp Rock._

_A/N: It is written wanted me to try and write something where the men weren't perfect. Where they didn't ride in like knights in shining armor and save the day. It is not connected to any other world. I know it is not my usual type of story, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. Three short drabbles._

_Dedication: It is written - you asked for it, so here it is. Personally, I think I should stick to happy stories._

"Mitchie, what did you think of the photos from Easter? Weren't the ones of the kids with the Easter bunny adorable?" Mitchie's mother-in-law gushed.

"What photos?" she asked in confusion.

"I e-mailed them to Shane and asked him to forward them to you. Didn't he send them?" Mrs. Gray replied.

Mitchie sighed. "He gets busy and forgets things like that." She had already had this basic conversation with her mother-in-law several times and had given up suggesting that the woman just send the photos directly to her. "I'll go ahead and track them down."

"Wonderful, dear. I'll talk to you later."

"Sounds good," Mitchie said before hanging up.

She headed to the computer. Shane was away on tour, so she knew that he would never get around to sending her the photos. They both kept their passwords in a file in the office, so she grabbed the information and logged on to his mail to forward the photos. She saw the message from Mrs. Gray right below a new message from one of the producers at Shane's label.

Mitchie did a double take when she saw the subject line. With trembling fingers she clicked on the message. Her eyes filled with tears as she read through an explicit chain of e-mails between her husband and the woman he worked with. Mitchie found a folder containing similar e-mails going back months. E-mails referring to things that they had done together and things that they fantasized about doing when they were apart.

Mitchie felt bile rise in her throat as she realized this had been going on while she was pregnant with their son. She collapsed on the floor, sobbing. How had she not known? How had her husband been carrying on with some trollop for months without her suspecting? Mitchie felt her picture-perfect life crumble around her. Everyone had warned her that this would happen, but Shane had reassured her over and over that he didn't want anyone but her. He had looked her right in the face and lied to her. And like an idiot, she had fallen for it.

When there were no more tears left to cry, Mitchie picked herself up off the floor, printed out all the e-mails, and dialed her husband's phone number.

"Hey, honey," Shane answered cheerfully. "How is my lovely wife today?"

"Shane, I know about Marley," Mitchie said coldly.

"Marley? What are you talking about?" Shane asked, with just a hint of fear detectable.

"Don't," Mitchie spat out. "Don't pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about. And don't bother coming home. I'll pack some things and leave them at the studio."

"Mitchie…" Shane sounded frantic.

"I really hope she's worth it," Mitchie said before hanging up. She wanted to cry again. She wanted to curl up in a ball and pretend none of this was happening. Or have several large glasses of wine. But she had to wake the baby up from his nap, pick her daughter up from school and figure out how she was going to live without Shane Gray.

* * *

Caitlyn turned her head towards the door to check if anyone had entered recently. There was still no sign of Nate even though their son's Christmas program was starting in three minutes. Caitlyn glanced down at her phone. Still no message. The sad part was that this was so typical, had happened so many times, that she couldn't even muster the energy to be upset. She had lost track of the number of times Nate had forgotten or showed up late for family events. You'd think after the band broke up he would have had more time for his family, but no, Nate had to prove to everyone he was more than one third of an obsolete boy band.

But he had promised Henry he would be there to see him sing his first solo.

Caitlyn felt someone reach out and squeeze her hand. She absently smiled at Jason, sitting in the pew next to her. Jason, who made it to more of Henry's games and events than Henry's own father. Jason, who she suspected might be a little bit in love with her. Jason, who the school gossips assumed was her lover. But he wasn't; he was her rock, but she would never betray Nate like that.

As the music began, Caitlyn tried to tune out any thoughts of her husband. Halfway through the second song, Jason nudged her and gestured towards the back of the room. There, leaning against a post, was Nate. She turned back to the front without making eye contact. It was too late for him to come sit with her. It was too crowded and would interrupt the program. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time they had sat together at something like this. There were divorced parents who sat together more often than she and Nate did.

Caitlyn's eyes filled with tears as she watched her son standing at the front of the room singing, "Little Drummer Boy". His halo of brown curls glowed in the spotlight, and his voice was so pure and beautiful. She was so proud of him; she couldn't help but glancing back at Nate, who had tears in his eyes.

Henry's eyes lit up when he saw his father at the reception after the show. Nate hugged his son, telling him how proud he was of him. As Henry took off with his friends to enjoy the cookies and hot chocolate, Nate finally turned and addressed Caitlyn.

"Hey, I've still got some stuff to take care of back at the studio. You don't need me here, do you?" He hated being at the school functions, but part of him wanted Caitlyn to tell him to stay. Part of him wanted her to want him there. Somehow they had drifted into this routine where they lived in the same house, but their lives were totally separate. And he had no idea how to fix it.

Caitlyn sighed. In some ways it was easier without him there. He never remembered anyone's name, and he was always glancing down at his watch and fidgeting. It didn't seem to matter to him that these were her friends and his son's friends. Or that this was where the two of them spent most of their time. Or even that Jason was currently having a great time talking sports with a few of the other dads.

"No, I've got it. Jason told Henry he would take him to ice cream, so go ahead."

Nate hesitated a moment. He knew he should stay. He should take her hand and try and talk to the other parents. He should be the one taking Henry out to ice cream to celebrate. But it was just easier to go back to the studio. So he kissed Caitlyn on the cheek and went to find Henry to say goodbye, vaguely aware that his wife would be better off with his best friend.

* * *

Jason had been pretty drunk that night, but he did remember sleeping with his manager's little sister. He had felt guilty enough about it to call the next day, but she had blown him off, telling him not to worry. They were both drunk, and it didn't mean anything. And he was happy to oblige.

And then he had heard from his manager that some one-night-stand had knocked up his nineteen year-old sister. And Jason had felt physically sick.

What if it was him?

And if it was, why hadn't she called him?

After stewing about it for a few days, he went ahead and called her. "Hey, Mel, your brother mentioned…" He wasn't sure exactly how to say it.

"That I'm pregnant?" She finished bluntly.

"Yeah."

"It's yours," she replied, answering the unasked question. "But don't worry. I'll take care of it."

Jason was ashamed when he felt a brief rush of relief. She didn't want him to get married or anything like that. She was nice enough, but he didn't really know her. And then what she had said registered.

"Wait," Jason said quickly. "What does that mean?"

"I'm having the baby and keeping it, but I don't expect anything from you. In fact, I think maybe it would be better if you just stayed away." She said.

"But it's mine too," Jason said desperately. He loved kids. And he didn't want to be one of those men who abandoned their own child. "I want to be a part of his or her life."

Melanie could hear that he was sincere, but she was young and terrified and didn't want this life-long connection to a man she barely knew. "I'll think about it," she finally said. "But don't tell anyone and don't call me. I'll let you know when I decide something."

With that, she hung up the phone. Jason sat stunned on his couch. He never thought something like this could happen to him. He got up and grabbed a beer out of the fridge. He glanced down at the bottle in his hand, looking at the very thing that had gotten him into this mess in the first place. Sighing, he realized he probably needed to stop drinking. But he would tackle that tomorrow. Tonight he needed to forget.


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I don't own Camp Rock._

_A/N: This was more an exercise for myself – thinking through how the people from the three scenarios would feel after the fact. I'm posting it because I thought a few of you who liked the first bit might be interested. Or not. It is pretty depressing. If you look at this before June 5, 2009, please go to my profile and look at the note at the bottom. Thanks!_

Mitchie didn't want to be one of those women. The women who became bitter and angry after their divorce. The women who never date because they no longer trust men. The women who put their children in the middle, who insult their ex-husband, who can't go to an event if the ex is going to be there. She would not be a woman whose gave up living when her marriage died. She was not going to let Shane control her like that.

But it wasn't easy.

Because he moved in with his mistress. And Mitchie was not okay with that woman spending time with her children.

Because he walked around playing the victim. And Mitchie didn't want to air her dirty laundry to the press.

Because when he cheated on her he destroyed her self-confidence and her faith in people. And Mitchie doesn't want to let anyone else have that power over her again.

But she did her best to smile and put on a brave front. She did her hair, put on a little extra make-up and made sure she looked put together when she went out. Most people thought she looked a little brittle, but the people who knew her best knew she wasn't brittle, she was broken.

* * *

Caitlyn spent most of her day wishing she was someone else. Not when she was with Henry; then she was perfectly happy being Henry's mother. But when she was alone and had to think about her life. Or when she was with Mitchie, who she could hardly recognize anymore. Or when she struggled to have a conversation with her husband, who once knew her so well he could finish her sentences. Or when she ran into old friends who asked her what she was doing and looked down their noses at her when she told them she stayed home with her son. Or when she was with Jason, who made her feel happy and safe. Because only her husband should make her feel that way, but he had given up trying.

Nothing had ever happened between them, but Jason was sweet and gentle and loving, and he looked at her like she was the most beautiful woman in the world. Caitlyn was afraid that one day she would give in to the temptation. And that was someone she could not become. So she made sure that she never spent time with him without Henry or Nate or Mitchie around. And she tried to ignore the flashes of hurt she saw in his eyes as she became more and more distant with him. But she didn't know what else to do. She couldn't exactly admit that she didn't spend time with him anymore because she was so lonely she was afraid she might throw herself at him.

Caitlyn never wanted to hurt Jason, and she knew in reality she was doing him a favor. He could stay friends with Nate. He could find someone else to love who could love him back the way he deserved to be loved.

But Caitlyn really wished she didn't have to give up the only thing besides Henry that made her happy. She really wished she could be someone else.

* * *

Jason wasn't sure how his life had gotten to this point. He was in love with one woman and had a child with another, but neither of them was the woman currently in his bed. Jason had stopped drinking after he found out he was going to be a father, but somehow that hadn't fixed as many of his problems as he had hoped. He was still in love with his best friend's wife. He still had to beg his daughter's mother to be able to spend time with her. And he was still distracting himself with one-night stands. Now he was just sober enough to feel the full weight of his own misery.

There was nothing to dull the pain when Caitlyn stopped greeting him with a smile and a lingering hug. There was nothing to distract him on Christmas morning when he didn't get to see his daughter come downstairs for the first time to see what Santa brought her. And there was nothing to numb the regret when he woke up and realized he didn't know the name of the blonde in his bed.

He knew he had to do something, but he wasn't sure what. Obviously lying in bed wishing that the blonde was Caitlyn and that his daughter and Henry were sleeping down the hall and that they were all a happy family wasn't working. Almost anything would be better than what he was doing right now. He just needed to work up the strength to try something new.


End file.
